NBA imposes historic penalties on Clippers over Kawhi cap circumvention

The NBA found the Clippers used sponsors to funnel money to Kawhi Leonard to skirt the salary cap, delivering the harshest penalties in league history: five future first-round picks (2029–2033), a $30 million fine, and suspensions for owner Steve Ballmer (1 year), Gillian Zucker (1 year) and Lawrence Frank (6 months), plus a $700,000 Leonard fine and a five-year ban for his former manager. Leonard will likely stay under his contract this season and could move to Toronto; the Clippers’ rebuild is set back for years. Winners: Kawhi Leonard and Adam Silver; losers: Ballmer, the franchise’s future, and its fans.